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Abstract
As the central organ of stress and adaptation to stressors, the brain plays a pivotal role in behavioral and physiological responses that may lead to successful adaptation or to pathophysiology and mental and physical disease. In this context, resilience can be defined as "achieving a positive outcome in the face of adversity". Underlying this deceptively simple statement are several questions; first, to what extent is this ability limited to those environments that have shaped the individual or can it be more flexible; second, when in the life course does the brain develop capacity for flexibility for adapting positively to new challenges; and third, can such flexibility be instated in individuals where early life experiences have limited that capacity? Brain architecture continues to show plasticity throughout adult life and studies of gene expression and epigenetic regulation reveal a dynamic and ever-changing brain. The goal is to recognize those biological changes that underlie flexible adaptability, and to recognize gene pathways, epigenetic factors and structural changes that indicate lack of resilience leading to negative outcomes, particularly when the individual is challenged by new circumstances. Early life experiences determine individual differences in such capabilities via epigenetic pathways and laying down of brain architecture that determine the later capacity for flexible adaptation or the lack thereof. Reactivation of such plasticity in individuals lacking such resilience is a new challenge for research and practical application. Finally, sex differences in the plasticity of the brain are often overlooked and must be more fully investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S. McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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152
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Varma VR, Chuang YF, Harris GC, Tan EJ, Carlson MC. Low-intensity daily walking activity is associated with hippocampal volume in older adults. Hippocampus 2014; 25:605-15. [PMID: 25483019 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal atrophy is associated with memory impairment and dementia and serves as a key biomarker in the preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease. Physical activity, one of the most promising behavioral interventions to prevent or delay cognitive decline, has been shown to be associated with hippocampal volume; specifically increased aerobic activity and fitness may have a positive effect on the size of the hippocampus. The majority of older adults, however, are sedentary and have difficulty initiating and maintaining exercise programs. A modestly more active lifestyle may nonetheless be beneficial. This study explored whether greater objectively measured daily walking activity was associated with larger hippocampal volume. We additionally explored whether greater low-intensity walking activity, which may be related to leisure-time physical, functional, and social activities, was associated with larger hippocampal volume independent of exercise and higher-intensity walking activity. Segmentation of hippocampal volumes was performed using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain's Software Library (FSL), and daily walking activity was assessed using a step activity monitor on 92, nondemented, older adult participants. After controlling for age, education, body mass index, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and the Mini Mental State Exam, we found that a greater amount, duration, and frequency of total daily walking activity were each associated with larger hippocampal volume among older women, but not among men. These relationships were specific to hippocampal volume, compared with the thalamus, used as a control brain region, and remained significant for low-intensity walking activity, independent of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity and self-reported exercise. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to explore the relationship between objectively measured daily walking activity and hippocampal volume in an older adult population. Findings suggest the importance of examining whether increasing nonexercise, lifestyle physical activities may produce measurable cognitive benefits and affect hippocampal volume through molecular pathways unique to those related to moderate-intensity exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay R Varma
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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153
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Burn K, Szoeke C. Is grandparenting a form of social engagement that benefits cognition in ageing? Maturitas 2014; 80:122-5. [PMID: 25549545 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Social engagement is a lifestyle factor that has received much attention in preventative research. Numerous studies in the current literature have argued the importance of social engagement in ageing, particularly for cognitive health. One key example of social engagement in later life is the role of a grandparent. This role promotes a socially active lifestyle that may be beneficial to cognitive ageing. Recent research has found that spending some time with grandchildren is beneficial; however, the pressures and responsibilities characteristic of this role should also be taken into consideration, as they may have opposing effects on cognitive health. Given the current popularity of grandparenting as a form of childcare, the interests of the grandparents and the impact on ageing health need to be carefully considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Burn
- University of Melbourne, Grattan St, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Cassandra Szoeke
- University of Melbourne, Grattan St, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia.
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154
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Prakash RS, De Leon AA, Patterson B, Schirda BL, Janssen AL. Mindfulness and the aging brain: a proposed paradigm shift. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:120. [PMID: 25009492 PMCID: PMC4068288 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been a proliferation of cognitive training studies investigating the efficacy of various cognitive training paradigms as well as strategies for improving cognitive control in the elderly. While some have found support for the transfer of training, the majority of training studies show modest to no transfer effects. When transfer effects have been observed, the mechanisms contributing to enhanced functioning have been difficult to dissociate. In this review, we provide a theoretical rationale for the study of mindfulness in older adults as a particular type of training program designed to improve cognitive control by capitalizing on older adults’ acquired behavioral orientation toward higher socioemotional goals. Given the synergistic relationship between emotional and cognitive control processes, the paradoxical divergence in older adults’ functional trajectory in these respective domains, and the harmonious interplay of cognitive and emotional control embedded in the practice of mindfulness, we propose mindfulness training as an opportunistic approach to cultivating cognitive benefits in older adults. The study of mindfulness within aging, we argue, capitalizes on a fundamental finding of the socioemotional aging literature, namely the preferential change in motivational goals of older adults from ones involving future-oriented wants and desires to present-focused emotion regulation and gratification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beth Patterson
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Alisha L Janssen
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
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155
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Requena C, López V. Measurable benefits on brain activity from the practice of educational leisure. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:40. [PMID: 24653699 PMCID: PMC3949114 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 02/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Even if behavioral studies relate leisure practices to the preservation of memory in old persons, there is unsubstantial evidence of the import of leisure on brain activity. Aim: This study was to compare the brain activity of elderly retired people who engage in different types of leisure activities. Methods: Quasi-experimental study over a sample of 60 elderly, retired subjects distributed into three groups according to the leisure activities they practised: educational leisure (G1), memory games (G2), and card games (G3). Applied measures include the conceptual distinction between free time and leisure, the test of the organization of free time measuring 24 clock divisions, and EEG register during 12 word list memorizing. Results: The results show that the type of leisure activity is associated with significant quantitative differences regarding the use of free time. G1 devotes more time to leisure activities than G2 (p = 0.007) and G3 (p = 0.034). G1 rests more actively than the other two groups (p = 0.001). The electrical localization of brain activity indicated a reverse tendency of activation according to the bands and groups. Discussion: Engaging in educational leisure activities is a useful practice to protect healthy brain compensation strategies. Future longitudinal research may verify the causal relation between practicing educational leisure activities and functional brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Requena
- Chair "Aging at all Ages", Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de León León, Spain
| | - Verónica López
- Chair "Aging at all Ages", Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de León León, Spain
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156
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Sneed RS, Cohen S. A prospective study of volunteerism and hypertension risk in older adults. Psychol Aging 2014; 28:578-86. [PMID: 23795768 DOI: 10.1037/a0032718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to determine whether volunteerism is prospectively associated with hypertension risk among older adults. Participants provided data during the 2006 and 2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal panel survey using a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (age > 50 years). Volunteerism and blood pressure were measured at baseline and again 4 years later. Analyses excluded individuals hypertensive at baseline and controlled for age, race, sex, education, baseline systolic/diastolic blood pressure, and major chronic illnesses. Those who had volunteered at least 200 hr in the 12 months prior to baseline were less likely to develop hypertension (OR = 0.60; 95% CI [0.40, 0.90]) than nonvolunteers. There was no association between volunteerism and hypertension risk at lower levels of volunteer participation. Volunteering at least 200 hr was also associated with greater increases in psychological well-being (B = 0.99, β = .05, p = .006) and physical activity (B = 0.21, β = .05, p = .04) compared with nonvolunteers; however, these factors did not explain the association of volunteerism with hypertension risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodlescia S Sneed
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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157
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Varma VR, Carlson MC, Parisi JM, Tanner EK, McGill S, Fried LP, Song LH, Gruenewald TL. Experience Corps Baltimore: Exploring the Stressors and Rewards of High-intensity Civic Engagement. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2014; 55:1038-49. [PMID: 24589989 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnu011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Experience Corps (EC) represents a high-intensity, intergenerational civic engagement activity where older adults serve as mentors and tutors in elementary schools. Although high-intensity volunteer opportunities are designed to enhance the health and well being of older adult volunteers, little is known about the negative and positive aspects of volunteering unique to intergenerational programs from the volunteer's perspective. DESIGN AND METHODS Stressors and rewards associated with volunteering in EC were explored in 8 focus group discussions with 46 volunteers from EC Baltimore. Transcripts were coded for frequently expressed themes. RESULTS Participants reported stressors and rewards within 5 key domains: intergenerational (children's problem behavior, working with and helping children, observing/facilitating improvement or transformation in a child, and developing a special connection with a child); external to EC (poor parenting and children's social stressors); interpersonal (challenges in working with teachers and bonding/making social connections); personal (enjoyment, self-enhancement/achievement, and being/feeling more active); and structural (satisfaction with the structural elements of the EC program). IMPLICATIONS Volunteers experienced unique intergenerational stressors related to children's problem behavior and societal factors external to the EC program. Overall, intergenerational, interpersonal, and personal rewards from volunteering, as well as program structure may have balanced the stress associated with volunteering. A better understanding of stressors and rewards from high-intensity volunteer programs may enhance our understanding of how intergenerational civic engagement volunteering affects well being in later life and may inform project modifications to maximize such benefits for future volunteers and those they serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay R Varma
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Michelle C Carlson
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jeanine M Parisi
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Sylvia McGill
- The Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Linda P Fried
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York
| | - Linda H Song
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tara L Gruenewald
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
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158
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Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: In Experiment 1, the authors investigated whether they could train retirement home activity directors with no previous experience in theatre to successfully execute an evidence-based 4-week theatre-arts intervention. In Experiment 2, they investigated whether an outside professional acting teacher who received only minimal training via e-mail and telephone could successfully execute the same intervention heretofore only carried out by the actor/director/professor who devised it. METHODS A total of 115 participants (ages 68-94) in four different retirement homes were taught theatre arts either by their in-house activity director who had no formal training in theatre or a professional acting teacher recruited through a local community college. The intervention consisted of twice-weekly 70-min lessons for 4 weeks. After random assignment to experimental or waiting-list control groups, participants were given pre- and posttests on both functional and cognitive measures. RESULTS Experiment 1 showed that activity directors were able to run this intervention and achieve significant results on the 28-item functional measure (Observed Tasks of Daily Living, Revised [OTDL-R]) as measured by a mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired-sample t tests (p < .001), and on one cognitive measure, Means-End Problem-Solving (MEPS), as measured by a multivariate ANOVA (MANCOVA) and follow-up univariate ANOVAs. Experiment 2 (outside acting teacher) used the identical measures and revealed significant results on the OTDL-R (p = .002), word recall, MEPS, and verbal fluency (η²(p) ranging from .28 to .59). CONCLUSIONS This study addressed the feasibility of training multiple instructors of varying experience to administer this theatre-arts intervention. Previous iterations had all been administered by the professional actor/director/theatre professor who devised the program. These current results demonstrate that widespread administration of this short-term (4-week) evidence-based intervention is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Noice
- Department of Psychology, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126, USA.
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159
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Bangerter LR, Kim K, Zarit SH, Birditt KS, Fingerman KL. Perceptions of Giving Support and Depressive Symptoms in Late Life. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2014; 55:770-9. [PMID: 24476582 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnt210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Research shows that parents benefit psychologically from generativity--giving and caring for the next generation--but older adults' perceptions on giving support to their children are rarely if ever explored in these studies. The current study examines the association between the support that aging parents give to one of their middle-aged offspring, their perception of this support as rewarding or stressful, and their levels of depressive symptoms. DESIGN AND METHODS The sample draws from The Family Exchanges Study and consisted of 337 older parents (mean age: 76) who were drawn from a larger study of middle-aged adults (i.e., target participants). Older parents reported tangible and nontangible forms of support given to the target middle-aged child and the extent to which they viewed providing such support as stressful and/or rewarding. RESULTS We found significant interactions between tangible support and feelings of reward and between nontangible support and feelings of stress in explaining parental depressive symptoms. Parents who found giving support to be highly rewarding had lower levels of depressive symptoms when giving high amounts of tangible support. Conversely, parents who view giving support to be highly stressful had higher levels of depressive symptoms when they gave low amounts of nontangible support. IMPLICATIONS Findings suggest older parents' perceptions of supporting their offspring may condition how generativity affects their mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren R Bangerter
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
| | - Kyungmin Kim
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Steven H Zarit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Kira S Birditt
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
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160
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Klinedinst NJ, Resnick B. Volunteering and depressive symptoms among residents in a continuing care retirement community. JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL WORK 2013; 57:52-71. [PMID: 24313849 DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2013.867294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This descriptive study examined the relationship between volunteer activities, depressive symptoms, and feelings of usefulness among older adults using path analysis. Survey data was collected via interview from residents of a continuing care retirement community. Neither feelings of usefulness nor volunteering were directly associated with depressive symptoms. Volunteering was directly associated with feelings of usefulness and indirectly associated with depressive symptoms through total physical activity. Age, fear of falling, pain, physical activity, and physical resilience explained 31% of the variance in depressive symptoms. Engaging in volunteer work may be beneficial for increasing feelings of usefulness and indirectly improving depressive symptoms among older adults.
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161
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Li YP, Chen YM, Chen CH. Volunteer transitions and physical and psychological health among older adults in Taiwan. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2013; 68:997-1008. [PMID: 24150179 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbt098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examines the relationship between transitions in volunteering activity and physical and psychological health outcomes among older adults in Taiwan. METHOD We used 3 waves of a longitudinal survey from Taiwan (1999, 2003, and 2007) including 1,847 older adults aged 58-74. We categorized volunteer activity over time into 5 categories and used generalized estimating equations to examine the relationship between volunteer transition group membership and health outcomes. RESULTS Approximately, 3% of older volunteers kept volunteering and 7% stopped or started their volunteering over time. Engaging in any volunteering, including continuous volunteering, discrete volunteering, active-to-inactive volunteering, and inactive-to-active volunteering, was significantly associated with better self-rated health and higher life satisfaction when compared with the nonvolunteering group. Only those in the continuous volunteer group and those who shifted from inactive-to-active volunteering showed a positive association with better physical function and less depression, compared with the nonvolunteering group. DISCUSSION The results suggest that the positive relationship between volunteering and health may decline when older adults discontinue or withdraw from volunteering. More research is needed to explore the mechanism behind older people's desistance from, persistence in, and resumption of volunteer engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Ping Li
- Correspondence should be addressed to Ching-Huey Chen, Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan 701, Taiwan, China. E-mail:
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162
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Varma VR, Tan EJ, Wang T, Xue QL, Fried LP, Seplaki CL, King AC, Seeman TE, Rebok GW, Carlson MC. Low-intensity walking activity is associated with better health. J Appl Gerontol 2013; 33:870-87. [PMID: 24652915 DOI: 10.1177/0733464813512896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recommended levels of physical activity may represent challenging targets for many older adults at risk for disability, leading to the importance of evaluating whether low-intensity activity is associated with health benefits. We examined the cross-sectional association between low-intensity walking activity (<100 steps/min) and health and physical function in a group of older adults. Participants (N = 187; age = 66.8; 91.4% African American; 76.5% female) wore a StepWatch Activity Monitor to measure components of low-intensity walking activity. Only 7% of participants met physical activity guidelines and moderate-intensity activity (≥100 steps/min) contributed only 10% of the total steps/day and 2% of the total min/day. Greater amount, frequency, and duration of low-intensity activity were associated with better self-report and performance-based measures of physical function, better quality of life, and fewer depressive symptoms (ps < .05). The cross-sectional relationship between low-intensity activity and health outcomes important to independent function suggests that we further explore the longitudinal benefits of low-intensity activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay R Varma
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Erwin J Tan
- The Corporation for National and Community Service, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tao Wang
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qian-Li Xue
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Abby C King
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | | | - George W Rebok
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michelle C Carlson
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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163
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Hanson HM, Schiller C, Winters M, Sims-Gould J, Clarke P, Curran E, Donaldson MG, Pitman B, Scott V, McKay HA, Ashe MC. Concept mapping applied to the intersection between older adults' outdoor walking and the built and social environments. Prev Med 2013; 57:785-91. [PMID: 24012832 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE For older adults, the ability to navigate walking routes in the outdoor environment allows them to remain active and socially engaged, facilitating community participation and independence. In order to enhance outdoor walking, it is important to understand the interaction of older adults within their local environments and the influence of broader stakeholder priorities that impact these environments. Thus, we aimed to synthesize perspectives from stakeholders to identify elements of the built and social environments that influence older adults' ability to walk outdoors. METHOD We applied a concept mapping approach with the input of diverse stakeholders (N=75) from British Columbia, Canada in 2012. RESULTS A seven-cluster map best represented areas that influence older adults' outdoor walking. Priority areas identified included sidewalks, crosswalks, and neighborhood features. CONCLUSION Individual perceptions and elements of the built and social environments intersect to influence walking behaviors, although targeted studies that address this area are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Hanson
- Centre for Hip Health & Mobility, Robert HN Ho Research Centre, 7/F 2635 Laurel St., Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1M9, Canada; Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 320-5950 University Blvd., Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Fried LP, Begg MD, Bayer R, Galea S. MPH education for the 21st century: motivation, rationale, and key principles for the new Columbia public health curriculum. Am J Public Health 2013; 104:23-30. [PMID: 24228646 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2013.301399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Public health is at a watershed moment. The world's health needs are changing, and complex problems require interdisciplinary approaches and systems-based solutions. Our longer lives and changing environments necessitate life-course and structural approaches to prevention. This argues strongly for public health graduate education that adequately prepares trainees to tackle emerging challenges and to lead now and in the future. Nearly a century of scholarship and scientific advances may offer a blueprint for training the next generation of public health leaders. We articulate a case for change; discuss some of the foundational principles that should guide public health education; and discuss what such a change might look like building on prior scholarship, on the examples set by other disciplines, and on our own experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda P Fried
- The authors are with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
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165
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O’Mara-Eves A, Brunton G, McDaid D, Oliver S, Kavanagh J, Jamal F, Matosevic T, Harden A, Thomas J. Community engagement to reduce inequalities in health: a systematic review, meta-analysis and economic analysis. PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.3310/phr01040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundCommunity engagement has been advanced as a promising way of improving health and reducing health inequalities; however, the approach is not yet supported by a strong evidence base.ObjectivesTo undertake a multimethod systematic review which builds on the evidence that underpins the current UK guidance on community engagement; to identify theoretical models underpinning community engagement; to explore mechanisms and contexts through which communities are engaged; to identify community engagement approaches that are effective in reducing health inequalities, under what circumstances and for whom; and to determine the processes and costs associated with their implementation.Data sourcesDatabases including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), The Campbell Library, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) database, the NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) and EPPI-Centre’s Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions (TRoPHI) and Database of Promoting Health Effectiveness Reviews (DoPHER) were searched from 1990 to August 2011 for systematic reviews and primary studies. Trials evaluating community engagement interventions reporting health outcomes were included.Review methodsStudy eligibility criteria: published after 1990; outcome, economic, or process evaluation; intervention relevant to community engagement; written in English; measured and reported health or community outcomes, or presents cost, resource, or implementation data characterises study populations or reports differential impacts in terms of social determinants of health; conducted in an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country. Study appraisal: risk of bias for outcome evaluations; assessment of validity and relevance for process evaluations; comparison against an economic evaluation checklist for economic evaluations. Synthesis methods: four synthesis approaches were adopted for the different evidence types: theoretical, quantitative, process, and economic evidence.ResultsThe theoretical synthesis identified key models of community engagement that are underpinned by different theories of changes. Results from 131 studies included in a meta-analysis indicate that there is solid evidence that community engagement interventions have a positive impact on health behaviours, health consequences, self-efficacy and perceived social support outcomes, across various conditions. There is insufficient evidence – particularly for long-term outcomes and indirect beneficiaries – to determine whether one particular model of community engagement is likely to be more effective than any other. There are also insufficient data to test the effects on health inequalities, although there is some evidence to suggest that interventions that improve social inequalities (as measured by social support) also improve health behaviours. There is weak evidence from the effectiveness and process evaluations that certain implementation factors may affect intervention success. From the economic analysis, there is weak but inconsistent evidence that community engagement interventions are cost-effective. By combining findings across the syntheses, we produced a new conceptual framework.LimitationsDifferences in the populations, intervention approaches and health outcomes made it difficult to pinpoint specific strategies for intervention effectiveness. The syntheses of process and economic evidence were limited by the small (generally not rigorous) evidence base.ConclusionsCommunity engagement interventions are effective across a wide range of contexts and using a variety of mechanisms. Public health initiatives should incorporate community engagement into intervention design. Evaluations should place greater emphasis on long-term outcomes, outcomes for indirect beneficiaries, process evaluation, and reporting costs and resources data. The theories of change identified and the newly developed conceptual framework are useful tools for researchers and practitioners. We identified trends in the evidence that could provide useful directions for future intervention design and evaluation.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- A O’Mara-Eves
- Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre), Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, London, UK
| | - G Brunton
- Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre), Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, London, UK
| | - D McDaid
- Personal Social Services Research Unit and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - S Oliver
- Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre), Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, London, UK
| | - J Kavanagh
- Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre), Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, London, UK
| | - F Jamal
- Institute for Health and Human Development, University of East London, London, UK
| | - T Matosevic
- Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - A Harden
- Institute for Health and Human Development, University of East London, London, UK
- Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - J Thomas
- Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre), Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, London, UK
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166
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Cook G, Bailey C. Older Care Home Residents' Views of Intergenerational Practice. JOURNAL OF INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/15350770.2013.837802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Jenkinson CE, Dickens AP, Jones K, Thompson-Coon J, Taylor RS, Rogers M, Bambra CL, Lang I, Richards SH. Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. BMC Public Health 2013; 13:773. [PMID: 23968220 PMCID: PMC3766013 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Volunteering has been advocated by the United Nations, and American and European governments as a way to engage people in their local communities and improve social capital, with the potential for public health benefits such as improving wellbeing and decreasing health inequalities. Furthermore, the US Corporation for National and Community Service Strategic Plan for 2011-2015 focused on increasing the impact of national service on community needs, supporting volunteers' wellbeing, and prioritising recruitment and engagement of underrepresented populations. The aims of this review were to examine the effect of formal volunteering on volunteers' physical and mental health and survival, and to explore the influence of volunteering type and intensity on health outcomes. METHODS Experimental and cohort studies comparing the physical and mental health outcomes and mortality of a volunteering group to a non-volunteering group were identified from twelve electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, HMIC, SSCI, ASSIA, Social Care Online, Social Policy and Practice) and citation tracking in January 2013. No language, country or date restrictions were applied. Data synthesis was based on vote counting and random effects meta-analysis of mortality risk ratios. RESULTS Forty papers were selected: five randomised controlled trials (RCTs, seven papers); four non-RCTs; and 17 cohort studies (29 papers). Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health. These findings were not confirmed by experimental studies. Meta-analysis of five cohort studies found volunteers to be at lower risk of mortality (risk ratio: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.90). There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate a consistent influence of volunteering type or intensity on outcomes. CONCLUSION Observational evidence suggested that volunteering may benefit mental health and survival although the causal mechanisms remain unclear. Consequently, there was limited robustly designed research to guide the development of volunteering as a public health promotion intervention. Future studies should explicitly map intervention design to clear health outcomes as well as use pragmatic RCT methodology to test effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Jenkinson
- Primary Care, University of Exeter Medical School, Smeall Building, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Andy P Dickens
- Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Kerry Jones
- PenCLAHRC, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter EX2 4SF, UK
| | - Jo Thompson-Coon
- PenCLAHRC, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter EX2 4SF, UK
| | - Rod S Taylor
- Primary Care, University of Exeter Medical School, Smeall Building, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Morwenna Rogers
- PenCLAHRC, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter EX2 4SF, UK
| | - Clare L Bambra
- Department of Geography, Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Durham University, Queen’s Campus, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6BH, UK
| | - Iain Lang
- PenCLAHRC, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter EX2 4SF, UK
| | - Suzanne H Richards
- Primary Care, University of Exeter Medical School, Smeall Building, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
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168
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Heaven B, Brown LJE, White M, Errington L, Mathers JC, Moffatt S. Supporting well-being in retirement through meaningful social roles: systematic review of intervention studies. Milbank Q 2013; 91:222-87. [PMID: 23758511 DOI: 10.1111/milq.12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT The marked demographic change toward greater proportions of older people in developed nations poses significant challenges for health and social care. Several studies have demonstrated an association between social roles in later life and positive health and well-being outcomes. After retiring from work, people may lose roles that provide purpose and social contacts. The outcomes of interventions to promote social roles in retirement have not been systematically reviewed. METHODS We examined three research questions: (1) What kinds of intervention have been developed to promote social roles in retirement? (2) How much have they improved perceived roles? (3) Have these roles improved health or well-being? We included those studies that evaluated the provision of social roles; used a control or comparison group; targeted healthy retirement-transition adults who were living in the community; provided an abstract written in English; took place in a highly developed nation; and reported social role, health, or well-being outcomes. We searched eight electronic databases and combined the results with hand searches. FINDINGS Through our searches, we identified 9,062 unique publications and eleven evaluative studies of acceptable quality, which reported seven interventions that met our inclusion criteria. These interventions varied in year of inception and scope, but only two were based outside North America. The studies rarely reported the quality or meaning of roles. Only three studies used random allocation, thus limiting inferences of causality from these studies. Interventions providing explicit roles and using supportive group structures were somewhat effective in improving one or more of the following: life satisfaction, social support and activity, physical health and activity, functional health, and cognition. CONCLUSIONS Social role interventions may improve health and well-being for people in retirement transition. Future research should improve the quality of intervention and assessment and look at which interventions are most effective and acceptable in facilitating social roles for diverse older populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Heaven
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
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169
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Takagi D, Kondo K, Kawachi I. Social participation and mental health: moderating effects of gender, social role and rurality. BMC Public Health 2013; 13:701. [PMID: 23902596 PMCID: PMC3734140 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that older people's social participation has positive effects on their health. However, some studies showed that the impacts of social participation on health differ by gender. We sought to examine whether the effects of social participation on mental health differ for men and women in a Japanese population. We also examined the moderating influence of social position within the organization as well as urban/rural locality. METHODS We used two waves of the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study's longitudinal survey, which targeted residents with aged 65 years or over (n=2,728) in a central part of Japan. The first wave survey was conducted in 2003, and the second wave in 2006. Depressive symptoms of the study participants were assessed using the short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). A multilevel logistic regression model was used with individual-level as level 1 and the school district-level as level 2. RESULTS We found that higher social participation and performing key roles in the organization had protective effects on depressive symptoms for women. However, there were no main effects of these variables for the mental health of men. We found an interaction between social participation, organizational position, and rural residence among men only. That is, men who occupied leadership positions in organizations reported better mental health, but only in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the notion that increasing the opportunities for social participation improves older people's heath, especially for women. However, in the rural Japanese context, offering men meaningful roles within organizations may be important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takagi
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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170
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Tan EJ, McGill S, Tanner EK, Carlson MC, Rebok GW, Seeman TE, Fried LP. The evolution of an academic-community partnership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of experience corps® Baltimore city: a courtship model. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2013; 54:314-21. [PMID: 23887931 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnt072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Experience Corps Baltimore City (EC) is a product of a partnership between the Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC) and the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health (COAH) that began in 1998. EC recruits volunteers aged 55 and older into high-impact mentoring and tutoring roles in public elementary schools that are designed to also benefit the volunteers. We describe the evolution of the GHCC-COAH partnership through the "Courtship Model." DESIGN AND METHODS We describe how community-based participatory research principals, such as shared governance, were applied at the following stages: (1) partner selection, (2) getting serious, (3) commitment, and (4) leaving a legacy. RESULTS EC could not have achieved its current level of success without academic-community partnership. In early stages of the "Courtship Model," GHCC and COAH were able to rely on the trust developed between the leadership of the partner organizations. Competing missions from different community and academic funders led to tension in later stages of the "Courtship Model" and necessitated a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the partners as they embarked on a randomized controlled trial. IMPLICATIONS The GHCC-COAH partnership demonstrates how academic-community partnerships can serve as an engine for social innovation. The partnership could serve as a model for other communities seeking multiple funding sources to implement similar public health interventions that are based on national service models. Unified funding mechanisms would assist the formation of academic-community partnerships that could support the design, implementation, and the evaluation of community-based public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin J Tan
- *Address correspondence to Erwin J. Tan, The Corporation for National and Community Service, Senior Corps, 1201 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005. E-mail:
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171
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Abstract
The public discourse on productive aging as a research and policy initiative has just begun in greater China. Two conferences in Mainland China in 2009 and 2011 and subsequent conferences in Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2012 have set it in motion. Because applied social science research has just started in greater China, researchers in Chinese societies will benefit from the experience and rich literature accumulated over the last three decades in the West. In this paper, I review and reflect on the research methods used in productive aging research in both Chinese societies and in the West. I believe that to advance productive aging research in greater China, we need to (1) discuss and agree upon a definition of productive aging, (2) identify and differentiate outputs and outcomes of productive aging activities in greater China, (3) develop precise measures for productive aging involvement, (4) focus on institutional (program and public policy) factors that promote productive aging involvement, (5) use a strong research design (such as a quasi-experimental design) to establish the internal validity of productive aging programs, and (6) be theory-driven. Lastly, productive aging should be seen as a choice, not an obligation for older people; otherwise, the productive aging agenda will be seen as exploiting older people. It is important that Chinese researchers and policy-makers have this in mind when they are advocating productive engagement of older people in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Yat-sang Lum
- Sau Po Centre on Ageing and Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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172
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Fried LP, Carlson MC, McGill S, Seeman T, Xue QL, Frick K, Tan E, Tanner EK, Barron J, Frangakis C, Piferi R, Martinez I, Gruenewald T, Martin BK, Berry-Vaughn L, Stewart J, Dickersin K, Willging PR, Rebok GW. Experience Corps: a dual trial to promote the health of older adults and children's academic success. Contemp Clin Trials 2013; 36:1-13. [PMID: 23680986 PMCID: PMC4112377 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the population ages, older adults are seeking meaningful, and impactful, post-retirement roles. As a society, improving the health of people throughout longer lives is a major public health goal. This paper presents the design and rationale for an effectiveness trial of Experience Corps™, an intervention created to address both these needs. This trial evaluates (1) whether senior volunteer roles within Experience Corps™ beneficially impact children's academic achievement and classroom behavior in public elementary schools and (2) impact on the health of volunteers. METHODS Dual evaluations of (1) an intention-to-treat trial randomizing eligible adults 60 and older to volunteer service in Experience Corps™, or to a control arm of usual volunteering opportunities, and (2) a comparison of eligible public elementary schools receiving Experience Corps™ to matched, eligible control schools in a 1:1 control:intervention school ratio. OUTCOMES For older adults, the primary outcome is decreased disability in mobility and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Secondary outcomes are decreased frailty, falls, and memory loss; slowed loss of strength, balance, walking speed, cortical plasticity, and executive function; objective performance of IADLs; and increased social and psychological engagement. For children, primary outcomes are improved reading achievement and classroom behavior in Kindergarten through the 3rd grade; secondary outcomes are improvements in school climate, teacher morale and retention, and teacher perceptions of older adults. SUMMARY This trial incorporates principles and practices of community-based participatory research and evaluates the dual benefit of a single intervention, versus usual opportunities, for two generations: older adults and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda P Fried
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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173
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Chen KM, Lin MH, Wang YC, Li CH, Huang HT. Psychological and socioeconomic health of community-dwelling older adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 48:1038-49. [PMID: 23484951 DOI: 10.1080/00207594.2013.771814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Different dimensions of health are intertwined. The purposes of this study were: (1) to investigate the psychological and socioeconomic health status of community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan, and (2) to compare the psychological and socioeconomic health differences among people of different age groups, gender, marital status, and exercise habits. Using stratified random sampling, 384 Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults were recruited for this survey research. Based on the Health Model of Older Adults, seven constructs were measured: (1) psychological health: sleep quality, emotional health, cognitive functioning, and health promotion behaviors; (2) socioeconomic health: social engagement, social support, and financial status. Results showed that most participants were in a good state of psychological and socioeconomic health, except that 38.02% of them suffered from sleep disruptions, and the majority of them were not involved in any social group, nor engaged in any volunteer work. Young-old older adults had better psychological and socioeconomic health than middle-old and old-old older adults. Male older adults had better psychological health than female older adults; however, they had less social engagement and social support than female older adults. Married older adults and exercisers performed better in most of the psychological and socioeconomic health indicators than single/widowed older adults and non-exercisers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuei-Min Chen
- a College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung , Taiwan
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174
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Tavares JL, Burr JA, Mutchler JE. Race Differences in the Relationship Between Formal Volunteering and Hypertension. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2013; 68:310-9. [DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbs162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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175
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Abstract
Objectives: This study described the association between dental care service utilization and two domains of social relationships (social integration and social support) among older adults. Methods: The study employed data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study, examining regression models for whether a person visited a dentist in the past 2 years, including adjustments for demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Results: Social interaction, social participation, neighborhood cohesion, and marital status were related to an increased likelihood of having visited a dentist. Older persons exhibiting loneliness and having received financial aid from network members demonstrated a decreased likelihood of visiting a dentist. The increased likelihood of visiting a dentist when a child lives nearby only occurred after introducing health covariates. Discussion: The article discusses the implications of the study findings as they relate to social relationships and oral health and recommends some additional research directions to explore the etiology of dental care use.
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176
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Abstract
Stress is a state of the mind, involving both brain and body as well as their interactions; it differs among individuals and reflects not only major life events but also the conflicts and pressures of daily life that alter physiological systems to produce a chronic stress burden that, in turn, is a factor in the expression of disease. This burden reflects the impact of not only life experiences but also genetic variations and individual health behaviors such as diet, physical activity, sleep, and substance abuse; it also reflects stable epigenetic modifications in development that set lifelong patterns of physiological reactivity and behavior through biological embedding of early environments interacting with cumulative change from experiences over the lifespan. Hormones associated with the chronic stress burden protect the body in the short run and promote adaptation (allostasis), but in the long run, the burden of chronic stress causes changes in the brain and body that can lead to disease (allostatic load and overload). Brain circuits are plastic and remodeled by stress to change the balance between anxiety, mood control, memory, and decision making. Such changes may have adaptive value in particular contexts, but their persistence and lack of reversibility can be maladaptive. However, the capacity of brain plasticity to effects of stressful experiences in adult life has only begun to be explored along with the efficacy of top-down strategies for helping the brain change itself, sometimes aided by pharmaceutical agents and other treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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177
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Productive Engagement of Older Adults: Elements of a Cross-Cultural Research Agenda. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s12126-012-9165-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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178
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Mui AC, Glajchen M, Chen H, Sun J. Developing an Older Adult Volunteer Program in a New York Chinese Community: An Evidence-Based Approach. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2012; 38:108-121. [PMID: 23645945 PMCID: PMC3641309 DOI: 10.1007/s12126-012-9160-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study reports the results of a pilot volunteer project for older Chinese immigrants and documents benefits for both volunteers and caregiver recipients. Using a social marketing approach, the volunteer project was designed as a social model to promote better health among older Chinese immigrants in New York City. The packaging of this health promotion project as a volunteer program was based on a strengths perspective. In the program, 18 older Chinese immigrants were trained to provide support and referral to family caregivers of ill relatives in the Chinese community. At 6 months, outcomes were evaluated for both volunteers and caregivers. The older volunteers perceived benefits associated with volunteering, specifically, a greater sense of well-being and satisfaction with life. In addition, the majority of volunteers felt empowered by training and volunteering (100 %), felt the skills they learned improved communication with their own families (90 %), and reported physical and emotional health benefits (61 %). At the same time, caregivers reported stress reduction following volunteer support. Findings suggest that a volunteer program model may be an effective health promotion intervention for older Chinese immigrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada C Mui
- Sau Po Centre on Ageing, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China ; Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027 USA
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179
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Ho YW, You J, Fung HH. The moderating role of age in the relationship between volunteering motives and well-being. Eur J Ageing 2012; 9:319-327. [PMID: 28804431 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-012-0245-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Driven by socioemotional selectivity theory, this study examined whether age moderated the associations of volunteering motives with physical and psychological well-being in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese volunteers. Volunteering motives were measured by the volunteer functions inventory. Findings revealed that even after controlling for demographic characteristics and volunteering experience, age was related to higher social and value motives but lower career motives, and moderated the associations of social and protective motives with well-being. The associations of social motives with physical well-being were positive among older volunteers, but were negative among younger- and middle-aged volunteers. While protective motives were positively related to psychological well-being among all the volunteers, such effects were stronger among younger- and middle-aged volunteers than among older volunteers. Findings highlight the role of age in determining the relationship between volunteering motives and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuen Wan Ho
- Department of Psychology, Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 328 Sino Building, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Psychology, Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 323 Sino Building, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jin You
- Department of Psychology, Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 328 Sino Building, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 126 Heyne Building, Houston, TX 77204 USA
| | - Helene H Fung
- Department of Psychology, Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 328 Sino Building, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
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180
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Craciun C. Social Capital in Romanian Old People: Meanings and Opportunities for Health. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s12126-012-9157-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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181
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Abstract
By combining stakeholder theory and activity theory, this study examines the dynamic relationships among wealth, volunteering, and self-esteem of older adults. This study uses latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) to capture the longitudinal patterns of self-esteem across four waves of data from the Americans’ Changing Lives (ACL) Study. As time-varying variables, the longitudinal trajectories of volunteering hours and self-esteem are analyzed. As time-invariant independent variables, the authors consider two types of wealth measurements: homeownership and the amount of total liquid assets at Wave 1. The authors find that the intercept of volunteering hours is positively associated with the intercept of self-esteem. This study also finds that volunteering hours partially mediates the relationship between wealth and self-esteem. This study sheds lights on dynamic mechanisms of wealth, volunteering, and self-esteem among older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Song-Iee Hong
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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182
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Parisi JM, Rebok GW, Xue QL, Fried LP, Seeman TE, Tanner EK, Gruenewald TL, Frick KD, Carlson MC. The role of education and intellectual activity on cognition. J Aging Res 2012; 2012:416132. [PMID: 22928110 PMCID: PMC3423895 DOI: 10.1155/2012/416132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Revised: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although educational attainment has been consistently related to cognition in adulthood, the mechanisms are still unclear. Early education, and other social learning experiences, may provide the skills, knowledge, and interest to pursue intellectual challenges across the life course. Therefore, cognition in adulthood might reflect continued engagement with cognitively complex environments. Using baseline data from the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial, multiple mediation models were applied to examine the combined and unique contributions of intellectual, social, physical, creative, and passive lifestyle activities on the relationship between education and cognition. Separate models were tested for each cognitive outcome (i.e., reading ability, processing speed, memory). With the exception of memory tasks, findings suggest that education-cognition relations are partially explained by frequent participation in intellectual activities. The association between education and cognition was not completely eliminated, however, suggesting that other factors may drive these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine M. Parisi
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - George W. Rebok
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Qian-Li Xue
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Linda P. Fried
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Teresa E. Seeman
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Elizabeth K. Tanner
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tara L. Gruenewald
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kevin D. Frick
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Michelle C. Carlson
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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183
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Frumkin H, Fried L, Moody R. Aging, climate change, and legacy thinking. Am J Public Health 2012; 102:1434-8. [PMID: 22698047 PMCID: PMC3464837 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2012.300663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is a complex, long-term public health challenge. Older people are especially susceptible to certain climate change impacts, such as heat waves. We suggest that older people may be a resource for addressing climate change because of their concern for legacy--for leaving behind values, attitudes, and an intact world to their children and grandchildren. We review the theoretical basis for "legacy thinking" among older people. We offer suggestions for research on this phenomenon, and for action to strengthen the sense of legacy. At a time when older populations are growing, understanding and promoting legacy thinking may offer an important strategy for addressing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Frumkin
- University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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184
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Predicting perceived health in Angolan elderly: the moderator effect of being oldest old. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2012; 55:605-10. [PMID: 22770711 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2012.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to test the predicting effects of variables measuring social support, dependence/active perceptions, and generativity, on this facet of well-being when controlled for socio-demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, and institutionalization). The research tries to extend previous literature by assessing them in a multivariate context, studying differential effects of these variables in young old and oldest old, and offering evidence of the scarcely studied population of Angola. The sample was formed by 737 young old and 266 oldest old. It was built a hierarchical regression, in which, among the different predictors, interactions effects between age and the psychosocial factors were included. Results provide evidence of the qualitative different perceived health and well-being of the young old and oldest old. When predicting perceived health of the Angolan oldest old, psychosocial factors lose much of its importance, and age itself and the limitations that accompanied it seem to be the key point.
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185
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Rovner BW, Casten RJ, Hegel MT, Leiby BE. Preventing cognitive decline in older African Americans with mild cognitive impairment: design and methods of a randomized clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2012; 33:712-20. [PMID: 22406101 PMCID: PMC3361551 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2012.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Revised: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) affects 25% of older African Americans and predicts progression to Alzheimer's disease. An extensive epidemiologic literature suggests that cognitive, physical, and/or social activities may prevent cognitive decline. We describe the methods of a randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of Behavior Activation to prevent cognitive decline in older African Americans with the amnestic multiple domain subtype of MCI. Community Health Workers deliver 6 initial in-home treatment sessions over 2-3 months and then 6 subsequent in-home booster sessions using language, materials, and concepts that are culturally relevant to older African Americans during this 24 month clinical trial. We are randomizing 200 subjects who are recruited from churches, senior centers, and medical clinics to Behavior Activation or Supportive Therapy, which controls for attention. The primary outcome is episodic memory as measured by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised at baseline and at months 3, 12, 18, and 24. The secondary outcomes are general and domain-specific neuropsychological function, activities of daily living, depression, and quality-of-life. The negative results of recent clinical trials of drug treatments for MCI and Alzheimer's disease suggest that behavioral interventions may provide an alternative treatment approach to preserve cognition in an aging society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry W. Rovner
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Jefferson Medical College Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience 900 Walnut Street Philadelphia, Pa 19107
| | - Robin J. Casten
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jefferson Medical College Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience 900 Walnut Street Philadelphia, Pa 19107
| | - Mark T. Hegel
- Departments Psychiatry and Community & Family Medicine Dartmouth Medical School Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center One Medical Center Drive Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Benjamin E. Leiby
- Division of Biostatistics Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Jefferson Medical College 1015 Chestnut St., Suite M100, Philadelphia, PA 19107
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186
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Mentoring highly aggressive children: pre-post changes in mentors' attitudes, personality, and attachment tendencies. J Prim Prev 2012; 32:253-70. [PMID: 22143320 DOI: 10.1007/s10935-011-0254-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the degree to which mentoring highly aggressive children was associated with changes in mentors' attitudes, personality, and attachment tendencies. Participants were 102 college students who each mentored an aggressive, high-risk child across three academic semesters (spring, fall, spring). We examined pre- to post-mentoring changes in attitudes about mentoring efficacy and future parenting, Big Five personality characteristics, and attachment tendencies. Mentors also rated the impact of the mentoring relationship in their lives, and both mentors and mentees rated support of the mentoring relationship. Results indicated a statistically significant decrease over time in mentors' ratings of self-efficacy, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. These findings held even when controlling for ratings of relationship impact. However, mentors who rated the mentoring relationship as supportive tended to experience increased openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness and less attachment-related avoidance over time. Child-rated support negatively predicted mentors' post-mentoring attitudes toward future parenting. Discussed are the potential costs of mentoring highly aggressive children and strategies that could help increase benefits to mentors.
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187
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Murayama H, Fujiwara Y, Kawachi I. Social capital and health: a review of prospective multilevel studies. J Epidemiol 2012; 22:179-87. [PMID: 22447212 PMCID: PMC3798618 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20110128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 283] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This article presents an overview of the concept of social capital, reviews prospective multilevel analytic studies of the association between social capital and health, and discusses intervention strategies that enhance social capital. METHODS We conducted a systematic search of published peer-reviewed literature on the PubMed database and categorized studies according to health outcome. RESULTS We identified 13 articles that satisfied the inclusion criteria for the review. In general, both individual social capital and area/workplace social capital had positive effects on health outcomes, regardless of study design, setting, follow-up period, or type of health outcome. Prospective studies that used a multilevel approach were mainly conducted in Western countries. Although we identified some cross-sectional multilevel studies that were conducted in Asian countries, including Japan, no prospective studies have been conducted in Asia. CONCLUSIONS Prospective evidence from multilevel analytic studies of the effect of social capital on health is very limited at present. If epidemiologic findings on the association between social capital and health are to be put to practical use, we must gather additional evidence and explore the feasibility of interventions that build social capital as a means of promoting health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Murayama
- Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
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188
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On the track of evaluated programmes targeting the social participation of seniors: a typology proposal. AGEING & SOCIETY 2012. [DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x11001152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACTNowadays, the social participation of seniors represents a central challenge for both individuals and collectivities. The participative perspective is indeed present in most of the contemporary discourses on ageing, and is viewed both as a way to manage the current demographic juncture and as a promising direction for enhancing seniors’ wellbeing and achievements. This article examines 32 programmes aimed at fostering the social participation of seniors that were both implemented and evaluated, and whose results were published between January 1970 and August 2011. Based on each programme's approach, a typology of social programmes is proposed. The programmes are grouped in five categories, ranging from programmes offering an individualised approach to socio-political programmes. Classification is based on the various ways the concept of social participation is defined and acted upon by the reviewed programmes. Far from being neutral, each category suggests a specific representation of the social roles of seniors. In addition, the paper discusses how the proposed typology can guide both policy and practice, linking identity and agency issues to organisational and structural considerations. Three uses for the typology are suggested: as a policy-making support, as an evaluative framework, and as an experimental space for community practice.
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189
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Parisi JM, Rebok GW, Seeman TE, Tanner EK, Tan EJ, Fried LP, Xue QL, Frick KD, Carlson MC. Lifestyle Activities in Sociodemographically at-risk Urban, Older Adults Prior to Participation in the Baltimore Experience Corps(®) Trial. ACTIVITIES, ADAPTATION & AGING 2012; 36:242-260. [PMID: 23144524 PMCID: PMC3490448 DOI: 10.1080/01924788.2012.702306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Experience Corps(®) places teams of trained volunteers in elementary school classrooms to promote academic achievement in children, and serve as a health promotion intervention for older adults. Prior to randomization, individuals reported participation in several activities of varying cognitive, physical, and social demands. Maintaining an active lifestyle, particularly in intellectually demanding activities, was associated with physical, mental, and cognitive health in adulthood. Establishing how individuals allocated their time before randomization to this program provides insight to prevalent health behaviors for at-risk older adults, and can provide the basis for examining intervention-related changes in lifestyle as a result of volunteer participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine M. Parisi
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - George W. Rebok
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Teresa E. Seeman
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Elizabeth K. Tanner
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Erwin J. Tan
- The Corporation for National and Community Service, Washington, D.C
| | - Linda P. Fried
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, NY
| | - Qian-Li Xue
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Kevin D. Frick
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Michelle C. Carlson
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD
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190
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Brown SC, Huang S, Perrino T, Surio P, Borges-Garcia R, Flavin K, Brown CH, Pantin H, Szapocznik J. The relationship of perceived neighborhood social climate to walking in Hispanic older adults: a longitudinal, cross-lagged panel analysis. J Aging Health 2011; 23:1325-51. [PMID: 21885705 PMCID: PMC3788676 DOI: 10.1177/0898264311418502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examines possible bidirectional relationships between neighborhood climate (i.e., perceived neighborhood social environment) and walking behavior across a 12-month period in older Hispanics. METHOD A population-based sample of 217 community-dwelling older Hispanics in Miami, Florida, completed measures of perceived neighborhood climate and neighborhood walking, at two assessment time points (12 months apart). RESULTS Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that neighborhood climate predicted subsequent walking 12 months later, such that more positive perceptions of neighborhood climate predicted more walking. Follow-up analyses revealed that older adults who resided in the top half of neighborhoods based on perceived neighborhood climate scores at initial assessment were 2.57 times as likely to have walked at least one block in the last week at follow-up, relative to older adults residing in neighborhoods whose climate was in the lower half. DISCUSSION Perceptions of a more positive neighborhood social environment may promote walking in urban, older Hispanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Brown
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Center for Family Studies, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
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191
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Abstract
Purpose: To explore changes in daily activities associated with high-intensity volunteering, this study assessed activities in a sample of 180 new Experience Corps (EC) volunteers serving low reading students in urban schools. Methods: Level of activity in 15 areas (visiting friends, reading, watching TV, etc.) was obtained at the beginning of this high-commitment volunteer experience and after 9 months of service. Latent class analyses were used to identify activity patterns, and regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with changes in activities. Results: At pre-test, 37% were classified in the low-activity group and were more likely to be first time volunteers, older, non-White, and have less education. At post-test, only 17% were classified as low activity. An increase in activity was more likely to occur for those who were low activity before joining the volunteer program. Implications: These findings demonstrate that increase in activity does occur for less active older adults who join a volunteer program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Morrow-Howell
- George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Song-Iee Hong
- Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore
| | - Stacey McCrary
- George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Wayne Blinne
- George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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192
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Kreek MJ. Extreme marginalization: addiction and other mental health disorders, stigma, and imprisonment. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2011; 1231:65-72. [PMID: 21884162 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06152.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Major well-defined medical problems that are, in part, the unfortunate outcome of a negative social environment may include specific addictive diseases and other mental health disorders, in particular the affective disorders of anxiety, depression, social phobia, and posttraumatic stress syndrome. This overview touches on the topic of extreme marginalization associated with addiction and other mental health disorders, along with arrest, imprisonment, and parole. All of these are characterized by a lasting stigma that hauntingly continues to affect each person suffering from any of these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA.
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193
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Xie B. Effects of an eHealth literacy intervention for older adults. J Med Internet Res 2011; 13:e90. [PMID: 22052161 PMCID: PMC3222191 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.1880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2011] [Revised: 09/14/2011] [Accepted: 09/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Older adults generally have low health and computer literacies, making it challenging for them to function well in the eHealth era where technology is increasingly being used in health care. Little is known about effective interventions and strategies for improving the eHealth literacy of the older population. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a theory-driven eHealth literacy intervention for older adults. Methods The experimental design was a 2 × 2 mixed factorial design with learning method (collaborative; individualistic) as the between-participants variable and time of measurement (pre; post) as the within-participants variable. A total of 146 older adults aged 56–91 (mean 69.99, SD 8.12) participated in this study during February to May 2011. The intervention involved 2 weeks of learning about using the National Institutes of Health’s SeniorHealth.gov website to access reliable health information. The intervention took place at public libraries. Participants were randomly assigned to either experimental condition (collaborative: n = 72; individualistic: n = 74). Results Overall, participants’ knowledge, skills, and eHealth literacy efficacy all improved significantly from pre to post intervention (P < .001 in all cases; effect sizes were >0.8 with statistical power of 1.00 even at the .01 level in all cases). When controlling for baseline differences, no significant main effect of the learning method was found on computer/Web knowledge, skills, or eHealth literacy efficacy. Thus, collaborative learning did not differ from individualistic learning in affecting the learning outcomes. No significant interaction effect of learning method and time of measurement was found. Group composition based on gender, familiarity with peers, or prior computer experience had no significant main or interaction effect on the learning outcomes. Regardless of the specific learning method used, participants had overwhelmingly positive attitudes toward the intervention and reported positive changes in participation in their own health care as a result of the intervention. Conclusions The findings provide strong evidence that the eHealth literacy intervention tested in this study, regardless of the specific learning method used, significantly improved knowledge, skills, and eHealth literacy efficacy from pre to post intervention, was positively perceived by participants, and led to positive changes in their own health care. Collaborative learning did not differ from individualistic learning in affecting the learning outcomes, suggesting the previously widely reported advantages of collaborative over individualistic learning may not be easily applied to the older population in informal settings, though several confounding factors might have contributed to this finding (ie, the largely inexperienced computer user composition of the study sample, potential instructor effect, and ceiling effect). Further research is necessary before a more firm conclusion can be drawn. These findings contribute to the literatures on adult learning, social interdependence theory, and health literacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xie
- University of Maryland, College of Information Studies, College Park, MD 20740, United States.
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195
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that a constricted life space, the extent of movement through the environment covered during daily functioning, is associated with increased risk of incident Alzheimer disease (AD), increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and more rapid cognitive decline in older adults. DESIGN Two prospective cohort studies. SETTING Retirement communities, community-based organizations, churches, and senior subsidized housing facilities across the Chicago metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1,294 community-dwelling elders without baseline clinical dementia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Detailed annual clinical evaluation to diagnose incident AD and MCI, and document change in cognitive function. RESULTS During a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.4 (1.7) years, 180 persons developed AD. In a proportional hazards model controlling for age, sex, race, and education, a more constricted life space was associated with an increased risk of AD (hazard ratio = 1.21, confidence interval: 1.08-1.36). A person with a life space constricted to their home was almost twice as likely to develop AD than a person with the largest life space (out of town). The association did not vary along demographic lines and persisted after the addition of terms for performance-based physical function, disability, depressive symptoms, social network size, vascular disease burden, and vascular risk factors. The association remained consistent after excluding persons with MCI at baseline and who developed AD in the first 2 years of observation. A constricted life space was also associated with an increased risk of MCI (hazard ratio = 1.17, confidence interval: 1.06-1.28), and a more rapid rate of global cognitive decline (estimate: -0.012, standard error: 0.003, t[5033] = -3.58, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS A constricted life space is associated with increased risk of AD, MCI, and cognitive decline among older persons.
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Abstract
We examined the association of social activity with cognitive decline in 1138 persons without dementia at baseline with a mean age of 79.6 (SD = 7.5) who were followed for up to 12 years (mean = 5.2; SD = 2.8). Using mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, race, social network size, depression, chronic conditions, disability, neuroticism, extraversion, cognitive activity, and physical activity, more social activity was associated with less cognitive decline during average follow-up of 5.2 years (SD = 2.7). A one point increase in social activity score (range = 1-4.2; mean = 2.6; SD = 0.6) was associated with a 47% decrease in the rate of decline in global cognitive function (p < .001). The rate of global cognitive decline was reduced by an average of 70% in persons who were frequently socially active (score = 3.33, 90th percentile) compared to persons who were infrequently socially active (score = 1.83, 10th percentile). This association was similar across five domains of cognitive function. Sensitivity analyses revealed that individuals with the lowest levels of cognition or with mild cognitive impairment at baseline did not drive this relationship. These results confirm that more socially active older adults experience less cognitive decline in old age.
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George D, Whitehouse C, Whitehouse P. A Model of Intergenerativity: How the Intergenerational School is Bringing the Generations Together to Foster Collective Wisdom and Community Health. JOURNAL OF INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/15350770.2011.619922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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199
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van Vliet— W. Intergenerational Cities: A Framework for Policies and Programs. JOURNAL OF INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/15350770.2011.619920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Cattan M, Hogg E, Hardill I. Improving quality of life in ageing populations: what can volunteering do? Maturitas 2011; 70:328-32. [PMID: 21958942 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2011] [Accepted: 08/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The year 2011 was declared the 'European Year of Volunteering' to recognise the contribution volunteers make to society. Such cross-national events reflect the high profile of volunteering and political imperatives to promote it. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive review of current knowledge (articles published between 2005 and 2011) regarding the role of volunteering in improving older people's quality of life (QoL) and to identify areas requiring further research. Volunteering was defined as an activity that is freely chosen, does not involve remuneration and helps or benefits those beyond an individual's immediate family. Our search identified 22 studies and 5 review articles that addressed the benefits of volunteering on older people's quality of life. Most of the research had been conducted in the United States, Canada and Australia using data from longitudinal studies. The majority of the studies concluded that there is a positive association between older people's quality of life and engagement in volunteering. Due to the study designs and the heterogeneity of the research, causality is difficult to demonstrate and the knowledge the studies bring to the subject is variable. This review shows that volunteering may help to maintain and possibly improve some older adults' quality of life. However, there are still major gaps in our understanding of who actually benefits, the social and cultural context of volunteering and its role in reducing health and social inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mima Cattan
- Northumbria University, School of Health, Community & Education Studies, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
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